Kale and walnut pesto

Kale and walnut pesto: There are certain ingredients that are simply made to be together. This is what we decided while whipping up some kale and walnut pesto at The Farm at Rockledge Gardens, showing people just how easy it is to make. We also discovered while making it, that it’s not always necessary to use cheese to make pesto. The flavours combined here are enough to make it delicious but if you feel the need to add cheese, then please, don’t let us stop you 🙂

Kale, walnuts and olive oil figure very high on the phytonutrient as well as in the polyunsaturated stakes which means that this kale and walnut pesto is good for your heart, skin, hair, brain – definitely a list of ingredients you want to add to your diet to help improve your long-term health.

Once you have made your pesto, store it in an airtight container in the fridge and before you lid it, cover the pesto in a layer of olive oil which will ensure it’s freshness for quite a long time. Then spread it over breads, toasts, bruschetta; toss it in salads, over pasta and in rice dishes.

Ingredients:

1 cup tightly packed curly kale leaves, washed and roughly chopped

Juice and zest of 1 medium – large lemon

1 large clove garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup walnuts

Kale and Walnut Pesto

Using a food processor, add the kale, lemon juice, zest, olive oil, garlic and half of the salt.

Give it all a whizz until reduced to a liquid then check the seasoning and add more salt if necessary.

Add the walnuts and pulse the processor a few times until you have a chunky paste.

Place in an airtight container and cover the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil, lid the container and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.